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Ep. 480: Going Feral with the Hmong

Published: 2023-09-25 09:00:00
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Steven Rinella talks with Yia Vang, Jordan Vold, Ya Yang, Janis PutelisRyan CallaghanChester FloydPhil Taylor, and Corinne Schneider.

Topics discussed: MeatEater’s Live Tour is coming; 75,000 Hmong people in the Twin Cities; dowry; Steve’s friend’s mobile bar business; when a skunk wins over a mountain lion kitten; feline favoritism; how Hmong sausage cannot be made vegan; hurt people hurt people; changing your name to get healthy again; how Yia translates to “iron skillet”; Optimus Prime Vang; growing up in a refugee camp; how every dish has a narrative; waiting for the sticky rice before you eat; how your word means everything in an oral culture; how Hmong love the mountains; Faithful, Available, Teachable; Hmong Facebook; catering Bar and Bat Mitzvahs; how your uncle always remind you who you are; go eat at Yia’s current restaurant, Union Hmong Kitchen, and his new restaurant, Vinai, in Spring 2024; watch Yia’s invasive critter hunting + cooking show, “Feral”; and more.

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Referenced Books

Tragic Mountains
by Jane Hamilton-Merritt
Steve Rinella mentions that someone sent him a great book about military campaigns involving the Hmong people. When asked what the book was called, the response is 'Tragic Mountains.' The book appears to detail the campaigns and military history related to the Hmong people's involvement in conflicts in Laos.
Referenced at 01:03:42